I'm a fan of the early years with Pigpen, and this does not disappoint. Perfect, energetic, fun setlist - no real psychedelia here, which is fine with me. Couple stand-outs, with nearly everything being great, were Brokedown Palace, Not Fade Away (return), and One More Saturday Night.

Yes! this list is NOT the one you will be drawn in by, from this 4 night run but they are blazing hot and it is almost a headbangers ball by the time they hit the OMSN encore.
The Smokestack is bad ass with Garcia's guitar and PIG'S harp dueling it out early and then Ron gets into some 1971 reflecting
"I've been gone, so long".
how much more soulful can a rock band can get?
get those hands out of dem pockets,,
get out of the door, and down to the street
all alone.
Gonna Leave
this Brokedown Palace.

A good, workmanlike show.

i have recorded over 800 shows and this is the finest in every aspect. perfect in every way. jerry bobby and pig at their best. highlights: every f***ing song. your welcome.

"ANNOUNCING DAVE'S PICKS VOL. 22 - From the famous run of shows in the lower level of Madison Square Garden, we bring you the 12/7/71 show from the Felt Forum in NYC. Featuring the return of Pigpen after a 3 month absence, the show features five Pigpen-sung songs, including what is arguably the best version of 'Smokestack Lightning.'

Tapes from this run of shows have circulated for decades, but never sounding like this. Every song from this show is played to perfection, presenting definitive live versions of every song played from this era. In addition, we have added the bulk of the second set from the previous night, including, but not limited to, a massive "Other One" jam, and exceptional renditions of "Wharf Rat" and "Uncle John's Band."

As a special treat for our Dave's Picks 2017 Subscribers, the 2017 Bonus Disc will feature the bulk of the rest of this 12/6/71 show, giving you two nearly-complete shows from one of the most requested and sought-after runs in Grateful Dead history."

Can't wait!

The only thing better than being there is hearing it again after all these years! Thank you!

This show is awesome btw and one of the better ones with '71 Keith.
The Jerry tunes are where it's at 12/7, other than an outstanding Smokestack, for sure.

What's so great about Europe '72? I'll take 1971 over 1972 any day of the week, and 1970 over '71. 1969 is even better. Get my drift?

And this show is so tight it's about to rip.

Not the flashiest set list, but the energy and precision of this affair is yummy, yummy.
Listen to Me & My Uncle for just a little taste.
Magic my peeps magic...

EXCELLENT SOUNDBOARD. DELICIOUS MIX, AND STELLAR PERFORMANCE. THIS IS A MUST HAVE.

The Felt Forum is a thirty-five hundred seat semi circle theater at the Madison Square Garden complex in Manhattan. A very intimate place to see the DEAD.

My first Grateful Dead show was December 4, 1971 at the Felt Forum my ticket cost $5.50. I was 16, I still have the ticket stub.

Bill Graham was there, The DEAD had pyrotechnics and skeletons that dropped from the top of the stage during the show. I remember seeing a sign saying THE GRATEFUL DEAD light up like sparklers burning when they played Casey Jones.

Anyway this show is excellent, Get the 4th 5th, 6th, and 7th of December at the Felt Forum on the Archive. Get them all.

I remember Phil freaking out on the 4th and pounding on his bass, maybe it was his battery...anyway it stopped the show.

December 4th was an electrifying show it was Saturday Night, and when the DEAD played "One More Saturday Night" the New York Crowd went ballistic.

I highly recommend this show. The Dead are full of energy, and are having lots of fun. THANKS FOR THE LOVE. It seems like it was so long ago...

There are so many huge shows in '71 that it's really hard to say which one is the best. Actually I'm not even sure which one from the Felt Forum run is the best... but all considered this one is a good candidate!

Great show and perfect sound quality.

To me, this show is the best '71 show there is. The sound is amazing! Absoultely perfect, even for '71.

Cold Rain and Snow, Brokedown Palace, and Jack Straw are some of the great tunes in this show. It's the perfect preview of what was to happen in '72.

THIS WAS A RATHER GOOD SHOW.I AGREE WITH PREVIOUS REVIEWS,THAT PIGPEN IS BACK.I WAS AT THIS SHOW.AS I REMEMBER IT,THE SHOW WAS SIMULCASTED ON WNEW THE NIGHT BEFORE.THERE A FEW BETTER COLD RAINS,BUT NOT MANY.I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY WHOSE OR WAS AT THESE SHOWS.MY EMAIL IS ALLANRPA@OPTONLINE.NET.THE TENNESSEE JED WAS TIGHT.

This is special, Pigpen is back, The energy levels are high, the music is flowing, One of only a few Smokestack Lightning's with Pig and Keith, great Cold Rain, Brokedown, Cumberland, among others, Run Rodolph is an upgrade from Johnny b Goode. August is far off in the distance, May72 is knockin on the door.

The Honeymoon is over and the dusk has cleared, and this band is on a roll.
email me at fieldhouse11277@hotmail.com happy to share with responsible listeners.

This is a great 1971 show. The band is definitely in transition during this period. Pigpen here is still alive and sounding great on his more musical blues songs, rather than the extended blue raps of earlier years, but Keith Godchaux is now also on keys, while wife, Donna, sits this one out.

The whole band sounds tight and musical. Not the brazen, 1968 San Francisco pyschedelic dance band, but not yet the American folk-country-psychedelic-groove icons of 1974. The '71-'72 period is some of my favorite Grateful Dead, and this show from late '71 has that flavor, but with a rawer sound than Europe 1972. Everyone is in top form, playing a lot of classic Dead tunes with on-key singing and beautiful, compact jams. Songs from "Workingmans Dead" and "American Beauty", like Casey Jones, Sugar Magnila, and Truckin' became Dead staples. This download showcases those songs as well as less-played, but stellar versions of "Cumberland Blues", and "Brokedown Palace".

All songs on these two discs sound great. The sound quality, in particular is clear and full, though over-saturated at times. Showcasing Phil's melodic bass, enthusiastic singing, and Jerry's bouyant, wandering guitar line, the worst songs in this show are good, and the best crackle with energy.

The Smokestack Lightning is outfreakingstanding; Brokedown Palace and Cold Rain And Snow are excellent as are just about all the others. Sugar Mag being an exception as Jerry tunes up for the first minute pretty much ruining the song. This is a show with both Keith and Pigpen playing keyboards, which for me is always a treat. But this show although very strong, just misses being a five star because of two things. There is some nasty distortion/crackling on the right channel. It happens occasionally, but enough to annoy especially if I'm wearing headphones. Otherwise the sound is pretty good though. The second thing is that there just isn't quite enough jamming for my tastes: no Dark Star, no Other One, no extended NFA. What jamming there is is very good, but greedy bastard that I am, I want more. This show points the way to the magnificence of '72, but for my tastes the Dead play a little too conservatively. The show is a 4.6, the sound is a 4 and since I can't rate the show 4.5 stars, it gets a 4.

WOW!! That's all I can say. This is the 1971 show I've been looking for! Sound and playing is stellar! Do NOT waste any more time without this. Get it now!

Revised, 10/13/05:
OK. I have listened to this show about 5 times through now...and, well...it's the perfect show. It really sounds more like 72 dead than 71 dead. This is right up there with the Europe 72 tour. I actually like this better because Jerry is so loud in the mix with his beautiful 72 tone. His solo in Brokedown Palace just melted my soul...it's truly gorgeous...and flawless, like the notes just flowed out of his fingers with no effort at all. What a f-ing stellar show!!!!

WOW!!!
THIS SHOW SMOKES. I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS SHOW LISTED BEFORE ON ANYBODY'S LIST.
POSSIBLY THE BEST RUN RUDOLPH RUN EVER.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
THIS IS NOW MY 2ND FAVORITE SHOW, RIGHT BEHIND
5-16-72 (CHECK OUT THE "IT HURTS ME TOO" ON THAT
ONE

one of the best soundboards I've heard and an absolute smokin' show!

Some, rightly so, point to 11-7 Harding Theater or 12-14 & 12-15 Hill Auditorium shows for this period of 1971. I'm going to put my stamp of approval on this 12-7 Felt Forum show instead because it deserves some promotion. Everything about this recording/show is top-drawer material.
THIS is the show you want my fellow deadfreaks.

Whoooooooot!!!

Beautiful. The sound quality is essentially perfect...nice and loud, the mix wonderfully balanced.

The band is on fire on this fine night, the setlist covering much of their best material, every song done with jamming perfection. I'd say its right on par, on all levels, with all the official Grateful Dead live releases of just a couple months later, in '72.

Give it a stream, it sounds fantastic even at low-fi. Highly reccomended.

Perhaps this is overshadowed by the previous nights, however this one is very fine indeed. This is another absolutely sweltering Smokestack and a great version of Brokedown...Jerry sounds good. Sound quality starts a bit muddy, but comes around quickly and the playing is excellent.

Gotta go with a 4 here folks...